離開
進入《TAIPEI TIMES》 ‘Dark skies’ effort in Renai supported by 52 local firms
The light pollution caused by restaurants and guesthouses in the Cingjing area of Nantou County’s Renai Township is illustrated in an undated photograph. Photo courtesy of Cingjing Sustainable Development Association consultant Hu Hsiu-hsing
By Tung Chen-kuo and William Hetherington / Staff reporter, with staff writer
A “dark skies” initiative launched by Nantou County’s Renai Township （仁愛） for the area around Cingjing Farm （清境農場） has gained the support of 52 local businesses.
After nearby Hehuanshan （合歡山） gained recognition in August last year from the International Dark-Sky Association （IDA） for its stargazing conditions, the township moved to further reduce light pollution, calling on businesses to switch to more ambient lighting and to turn off unnecessary sources of outdoor lighting.
Friday marked the first time that the participating businesses all shut off their outdoor lighting on the same night, creating the best conditions for stargazing.
Hehuanshan is less than 20km from Cingjing Farm, so having the stargazing area extend toward the farm made sense for tourism and for saving electricity, which is beneficial for the environment, the township said.
Renai would devise a system for certifying participating businesses as “dark sky friendly,” based on standards laid out by the IDA, National Chi Nan University dean of general affairs Tseng Yung-ping （曾永平） said.
Taipei Amateur Astronomers Association president Liu Chi-an （劉志安） said that the initiative’s three aims are to reduce light pollution in the township, promote widespread adoption of lighting that meets IDA standards — which do not disturb the activity of nocturnal animals — and encourage local residents and businesses to switch off outdoor lights after 9pm.
The initiative covers the area along Provincial Highway 14, from the 3km mark to the 18km mark, he said, adding that the Nantou County Government estimates that the initiative would save 300,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
Tourism in the township is going through a transition and many businesses are spending on new lighting in the hope of drawing in sky gazers, Cingjing Tourism Association director Chiang Cheng-wei （蔣政緯） said.
“This is not only about reducing light sources or stargazing, it is about innovation and social change,” sustainable tourism advocate Lee Tsung-hsiu （李從秀） said.
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
